We are all aware of the inevitable nature of death. However, losing a loved one still remains an incredibly challenging experience.
It becomes even more painful when the cause of death is something that could have been prevented.
After 23 years of marriage, Crissy Naticchia had to say goodbye to her husband Jeff, who tragically passed away due to complications arising from an insect bite.
Crissy is now sharing her heart-wrenching story to raise awareness about the dangerous infection that a common bug transmitted to Jeff.
Sharing her heartbreaking story online, Crissy expressed the deep sense of loss and grief that engulfed her and her family following Jeff’s untimely death.
“My son, now a junior in high school, no longer has a father to teach him how to drive, talk to him about girls, help him pick a college – and to witness him reach all of these milestones,” Crissy wrote.
She continued, saying, “My husband was everything to his family – he did everything for us, unconditionally – things we took for granted, like most people do. Now that he’s gone, we feel lost and scared and alone.’
Adding to the tragedy, Jeff had put in tremendous effort to improve his health before his passing. Crissy recounted how her late husband had dedicated countless hours to getting healthier and shedding weight.
Although he had been ill twice during their marriage, Jeff’s health took a sudden turn for the worse one day after being bitten by an insect, later identified as a tick.
Crissy noticed alarming symptoms – Jeff sweating excessively and drenching his clothes in sweat, necessitating frequent changes of bedding due to soaked sheets.
After a few days, Jeff had to be rushed to the emergency room.
It was there that he was diagnosed with a kidney infection and prescribed antibiotics. Tragically, that misdiagnosis ultimately led to Jeff’s demise.
The disease rapidly progressed within his body. In just 12 hours, Jeff went from joking around to lying in the ICU with life-support machines.
It took two days for medical professionals to correctly diagnose the situation, but by then, it was too late.
Unknown Disease
Jeff had contracted Babesia, an illness transmitted by ticks that attacks red blood cells. While commonly affecting pets and livestock, it can also be fatal to humans.
In the US, cases of Babesia are prevalent. Jeff’s lack of a functioning spleen made matters worse as the disease spread swiftly through his body.
Despite a brief glimmer of hope when Jeff seemed to be recovering, his heart eventually gave out, and he passed away.
This unfortunate incident underscores the importance of awareness and prevention. Crissy is dedicated to spreading knowledge about this disease to ensure that her husband’s death is not in vain.
“I lost the father of my children because the infection that developed is not widely known. If the doctors could have diagnosed him one, two, or four days earlier, would he have survived? We will never know,” she shared.
Crissy’s aspiration is that increased awareness of Babesia will lead to more effective treatments in the future.
Increased awareness of insect-borne diseases could potentially save numerous lives. Imagine if Jeff had received the correct diagnosis from the start – the outcome might have been different.
Spread this story to raise awareness. You never know, your actions could prevent a similar tragedy and save a dear friend or family member. Let’s work together to prevent such heartbreaking incidents.
